Game apparatus



March 31, 1936. M. KELLERMANN GAME; APPARATUS Filed Aug. 28, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l I INVENTOR. M ffis'lleiwzaizrz B w K ,9 5 ATTORNEYS March 31, 1936. M, KELLERMANN GAME APPARATUS Filed Aug. 28, 1955 2 sheetssheef 2 IN VENTOR. Keller/22 a/ua H13 ATTORNEYS.

Patented Mar. 31, 1936 UNETED STATES PATENT OFFICE GAME APPARATUS Application August 28, 1935, Serial No. 38,141

7 Claims.

This invention relates to a game apparatus.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved game apparatus which is relatively simple and inexpensive in construction and efficient in use.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a game apparatus comprising a cabinet including an inclined playing board having ball exit openings therein and a series of inclined runways below said playing board and in communication with said exit openings; a plurality of members pivotally mounted in said cabinet for movement relative to said inclined playing board and preferably having the form of battleships or like naval pieces and these naval pieces being normally disposed in a raised position above the said playing board; means normally retaining the said naval pieces in raised position; and means including devices operated by balls passing through certain of said exit openings in the said inclined playing board into the said ball return runways having communication therewith for causing the said naval pieces to disappear or pivot downwardly into the cabinet through openings provided therefor in the inclined playing board.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, showing the preferred form of construction and in which:

Fig. l is a top plan view of a game apparatus embodying a preferred form of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the same on line 22 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view illustrating one of the naval pieces and associated devices for eifecting movement of the simulated naval piece embodied in the apparatus;

Fig. l is an enlarged vertical sectional view showing the resetting mechanism by which the naval pieces are restored to their normal or raised position;

. Fig. 5 is a sectional View on line 55 in Fig. 3, showing the latching device by which the naval pieces are latched in raised position;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view on line 6-6 in Fig. 3; and

Fig. '7 is a sectional view on line 1-1 in Fig. 1.

A game apparatus embodying a preferred form of the present invention as shown in the drawings, is therein generally indicated at It), and

comprises a cabinet I l which includes an inclined playing board l2. Arranged in the cabinet II at one side of the inclined playing board 12 is a ball runway or ramp l3 and arranged at the lower end of this runway or ramp I3 is a ball-propelling device or plunger M by means of which balls may be propelled, one at a time onto the upper portion of the inclined playing board l2, so that they may gravitate thereover and. enter into the ball exit openings l5 which are provided in the inclined playing board I2. Likewise provided in the inclined playing board I2 are other ball exit openings 36.

Provided in the cabinet ll, below the inclined playing board 12, and each having communication with a preselected number or group of the ball exit openings I5 is a series of inclined ball return runways I 6 by means of which spent balls may be conducted from the exit openings Hi to unlatch a battleship or naval piece in a manner to be hereinafter described.

Formed in the inclined playing board l2 are openings I9 and each having one end portion pivotally mounted upon the inclined playing board l2, at the bottom of the latter (Fig. 3) are supporting bars or members 22. Arranged in each of these openings I9 is a. naval piece or battleship, generally indicated at 2|.

Each of these so-called naval pieces 2| is mounted upon one of the supporting members or bars 22, and each of the latter is pivotally mounted at one end upon the inclined playing board l2, as at 23 (Fig. 3). Pivotally mounted in each of the runways l6, as at 24, is a latch member 25, and each of these latch members 25 has a latching upper end portion 26 which is adapted to engage under the adjacent end portion of the corresponding supporting member 22 so as to hold the same in a raised position, as in full lines, Fig. 3, thereby holding the corresponding naval piece or battleship 2| in raised position, in its opening l9, as shown in full lines, Fig. 3. Each of the pivotally mounted latch members 25 has a counterweighted lower end portion 21 which projects downwardly into the corresponding ball return runway I6, into the path of a ball traveling therealong, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

Slidably mounted in the lower end wall 28 of the cabinet II is a coin slide 29 and pivotally mounted in the cabinet I I below the inclined playing board [2, and extending transversely thereacross is a supporting rod 30 which has its end portions 3| pivotally mounted in the side walls of the cabinet, as shown in Fig. 4.

This rod 30 projects under the supporting members 22 and is normally urged by a spring 32 (clockwise, Fig. 4) into position to elevate the supporting members 22 and the battleships carried thereby into raised position.

The inner end of the coin slide 29 bears against the end portion 34 of the slide rod 33 and one end of the spring 32 is attached to the slide rod 33, as at 35. Attached to the slide rod 33 is a resetting spring 33.

Positioned in the lower end of the play board I2 is a sight opening 39 which is formed bya casing 40, at the lower end of which is pivotally mounted a gate member 4| that is adapted to' entrap played balls directed thereto from the ball,

return runways l6.

Pivotally connected to a vertical extending arm Operation The upper end portions 26 of the latch members 25 are normally disposed under the supporting bars 22, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, so as to hold the supporting bars 22 and the gun turret units 2| in raised position, as in full lines Fig. 3, so that the battleships 2| are disposed in raised position relative to the inclined playing board I2.

However, when a ball enters one of the exit openings l5 or 33 it falls into the corresponding one of the ball return runways l6 and upon traveling down the latter engages the counter-weighted lower end portion 21 of the corresponding latch member 25, and thereby pivots the latter at 24, in a clockwise direction, from full to dotted line position, as shown in Fig. 3. This movement of the actuated latch member 25, from full to dotted line position, Fig. 3, withdraws the upper end portion 26 thereof out of latching engagement with the corresponding supporting bar 22 and thereby permits the latter and the corresponding battleship carried thereby to pivot, by gravity, from full to dotted line position, Fig. 3, thus causing the battleship 2| to simulate the sinking of a battleship.

When the coin slide 29 is moved inwardly from left to right, Fig. 2, the inner end portion of the same engages the end portion 34 of the slide rod 33 and thereby moves the slide rod 33 from left to right, Fig. 4; and this movement of the slide rod 33 acts, through the spring 32, to pivot the lift rod 30, from full to dotted line position, as shown in Fig. 4, whereupon the lift rod 30 engages under the supporting bars 22 and pivots thelatter, from dotted to full line position, as shown in Fig. 3, whereupon the counterweighted end portions 21 of the latch members 25 pivot the latter by gravity from dotted to full line position, Fig. 3, and thereby reengage the upper end portions 26 of the latch members 25 under the supporting bars 22 so as to hold the same and the battleships carried thereby in raised position, as in full lines, Fig. 3.

Upon the same inward movement of the coin slide 29 and the slide rod 33, the connecting rod 44 which links the slide rod 331 to the gate member 4| urges the latter into dotted line position (Fig. 4) to directthe spent balls entrapped therein onto the ball return runway 31 from which they are directed into the transverse runway I! so that they may again be elevated onto the ball ramp 3 of the play board l2 by the elevating device I8.

When the coin slide 29 is released for movement into normal position by its resetting spring (not shown) the slide rod 33 will likewise return to its initial position by action of the tensioned resetting spring 38 thereby returning the associated parts 30, 3| and 4|, 44 into initial or full line position (Fig. 1).

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification, without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be. limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a game apparatus the combination of: a cabinet including a member providing a ball playing surface having a ball exit opening formed therein and said playing surface having another opening formed therein in addition to said ball exit opening; means for propelling balls one at a time over said playing surface so that they may enter into said ball exit opening; a ball return runway in said cabinet below said playing surface and having communication with said ball exit opening; a member including a body arranged below said playing surface and said body having an end portion pivotally mounted in said cabinet; said second-named member including a portion projecting upwardly into said second-named opening; means coacting with the other end portion of said body to latch the said secondnamed portion of said second-named member in raised position in said second-named opening; means including a device actuated by a ball traveling along said ball return runway for releasing said latching means from latching engagement with the said first-named end portion of said body so as to allow the said second-named member to pivot by gravity and lower the said second-named portion thereof in said second-named opening; and means for resetting the said latching means into latching engagement with the said other end portion of said body so as to reset the said second named portion of said second-named member into raised position in said second-named opening.

2. In a game apparatus the combination of: a cabinet including a member providing a ball playing surface having a ball exit opening formed. therein and said playing surface having another opening formed therein in addition to said ball exit opening; means for projecting balls one at a time over said playing surface so that they may enter into said ball exit opening; 'a ball return runway in said cabinet below said playing surface and having communication with said ball exit opening; a member including a body arranged below said playing surface and said body having an end portion pivotally mounted in'said cabinet; said second-named member including a portion having the form of a military or naval piece, projecting upwardly into said second-named opening; means coacting with the other end portion of said body to latch the said second-named portion of said second-named member in raised position in said second-named opening; means including a device actuated by a ball traveling along said ball return runway for releasing said latchingmeans from latching engagement with the said first-named end portion of said body so as to allow the said second-named member to pivot by gravity and lower the said second-named portion thereof in said second-named opening; and means for resetting the said latching means into latching engagement with the said other end portion of said body so as to reset the said secondnamed portion of said second-named member into raised position in said second-named opening.

3. In a game apparatus the combination of: a cabinet including a member providing a ball playing surface having a ball exit opening formed therein and said playing surface having another opening formed therein in addition to said ball exit opening; means for propelling balls one at a time over said playing surface so that they may enter into said ball exit opening; a ball return runway in said cabinet below said playing surface and having communication with said ball exit opening; a member including a body arranged below said playing surface and said body having an end portion pivotally mounted in said cabinet upon said first-named member and on the bottom side of the latter; said second-named member including a portion projecting upwardly into said second-named opening; means coacting with the other end portion of said body to latch the said second-named portion of said second-named member in raised position in said second-named opening; means including a device actuated by a ball traveling along said ball return runway for releasing said latching means from latching engagement with the said first-named end portion of said body so as to allow the said second-named member to pivot by gravity and lower the said second-named portion thereof in said secondnamed opening; and means for resetting the said latching means into latching engagement with the said other end portion of said body so as to reset the said second-named portion of said second-named member into raised position in said second-named opening.

4. In a game apparatus the combination of: a cabinet including a member providing a ball playing surface having a ball exit opening formed therein and said playing surface having another opening formed therein in addition to said ball exit opening; a ball return runway in said cabinet below said playing surface and having communication with said ball exit opening; a member having an end portion pivotally mounted in said cabinet and including a portion projecting upwardly into said second-named opening; means for latching the said second-named member in raised position in said second-named opening; means including a device actuated by a ball traveling along said ball return runway for releasing said latching means from latching engagement with the said second-named member so as to allow the said second-named member to pivot by gravity and into lowered position in said second-named opening; and means for resetting the said latching means into latching engagement with the said second-named member so as to reset the latter into raised position in said secondnamed opening.

5. In a game apparatus the combination of: a cabinet including a member providing a ball playing surface having a ball exit opening formed therein and said playing surface having another opening formed therein in addition to said ball exit opening; a ball return runway in said cabinet below said playing surface and having communication with the said ball exit opening; a

member pivotally mounted in the said cabinet and including a portion projecting upwardly into the said second-named opening; means for latching the said second-named member in raised position in the said second-named opening; and means including a device actuated by a ball traveling along the said ball return runway for releasing the said latching means from latching engagement with the said second-named member so as to allow the said second-named member to pivot by gravity into lowered position in the said second-named opening.

6. In a game apparatus, a member providing a ball-playing surface having an opening formed therein, a ball runway in the said cabinet below the said playing surface and having communication with the latter, a member pivotally mounted in the said cabinet for movement in the said opening, means for latching the said secondnamed member in raised position in the said opening, and means including a device actuated by a ball traveling along said runway for releasing the said latching means from latching engagement with the said second-named member so as to allow the latter to pivot by gravity into lowered position in said opening.

7. In a game apparatus, a member providing a ball-playing surface having an opening formed therein, a ball runway in the said cabinet below the said playing surface and having communication with the latter, a member pivotally mounted in the said cabinet for movement in the said opening, means for latching the said secondnamed member in raised position in the said opening, means including a device actuated by a ball traveling along the said runway for releasing the said latching means for latching engagement with the said second-named member so as to allow the latter to pivot by gravity into lowered position in the said opening, and means for resetting the said latching means into latching engagement with the said second-named member so as to reset the latter into raised position in the said opening.

MARVIN KELLERMANN. 

